[lordbaggie]

The most interesting thing about the article is- from where was it sourced? There are no attributable quotes.

If Albion are "considering an overhaul of their player recruitment and scouting unit" they would surely do this behind closed doors. How would the Press get wind of it? A mole? It's hardly come from an official Press Release.

The article is at least obliquely critical of Dave McD, is generally full of praise for the scouting set up, warns that established scouts might get the heave-ho but goes no further than suggesting a redefinition of Garlick's role.

I can't help feeling that such a redefinition might actually appeal to Garlick.

I'm also guessing that (either) Dave McD's days are numbered OR his role is to be cut back OR that somebody, somewhere (who has the Press's ear) wishes it to be so.

It may be wishful thinking on my part but it has crossed my mind that maybe Dan Ashworth could be set for a dramatic return.

Unlikely you may think, and I'm certainly not ITK but if it happens just remember you heard it first here!

[LiamTheBaggie]

If you're going to judge Anichebe on 90 mins of football do it on his performance at Old Trafford. Played all game, most with an injury and was absolutely fantastic. Ok he's injury prone but I'm struggling to find a game where he's played badly. He's not going to score loads of goals, but he offers something different and so far pretty effective. Been involved in our last 4 goals too.

Whilst judgement may well be reserved I think a valid point remains that the club vastly over-spent on a player who failed to make significant in-roads at Everton. I would like to think that our scouting system could have found far greater value abroad on a player who might be able to last 90 minutes of football - in-fact, throughout his time here so far it feels as though he has been blighted with injury after injury.

I like Victor Anichebe and he is an effective player for us - more so because everybody else within the squad is either stale, inexperienced or not good enough.

[addy]

I posted this in another thread, but its probably more relevant here. Really interesting read.

You may think that Jeremy Peace, club chairman, is still top dog at the Hawthorns. You may need to think again.

A former Valencia, Inter Milan and Liverpool football clubs employee called Dave McDonough has been busy at the Hawthorns. In April 2013 McDonough was brought in to the club by Jeremy Peace to introduce and develop more sophisticated statistical analysis, to ensure greater value from expenditure. The vision was to improve the quality of transfer business to maximise value from transfers and reduce costs. His current role is 'Director of Technical Performance and Scouting'.

Since his arrival, McDonough has created quite a stir in the club - playing a significant role in the departure of the former head coach and appointment of the current one (albeit after a cumbersome selection process) and emasculating the role and influence of Richard Garlick (the club's Sporting and Technical Director) to the point where Garlick is now largely irrelevant. The fact that Garlick is on the club's board makes this even more remarkable.

McDonough has also controlled and overseen the club's last two (weak) transfer window performances and is sweeping away key (football industry acclaimed) staff, systems and working practices that were designed and implemented by Dan Ashworth - universally seen as one of the most able and influential directors of football in the premier league before his departure to work for the English FA.

Spanish speaking McDonough also appears to be playing an ever increasing role of liaison on football matters with the club's current head coach, a development that has the potential to cause friction and bring into question the roles of professional football coaches at the club. McDonough has some coaching experience, maybe he fancies the head coach role?

It has now also emerged that McDonough's power, influence and approach is upsetting members of the club's playing squad, who regard it as intrusive.

In essence, McDonough has developed a power base that now sees him firmly entrenched in virtual control of the key relationship between the club's board and head coach. Accompanying this, years of ground breaking development work and systems previously pioneered at the club have seemingly been consigned to the recycle bin.

Why and how has McDonough achieved this? In facilitating McDonough's approach, Jeremy Peace is intentionally or unwittingly overseeing the destruction of years of progress at West Bromwich Albion (and arguably, risking his own reputation as a successful football club chairman - something that should matter to him).

McDonough is clearly an able operator. He may not have the title 'Club Chairman' on his office door, but - like a modern day Rasputin - he seems to enjoy a svengali like influence on Peace, who most people would have assumed was far too clever and strong minded to be driven in this way.

Will Peace see the light? Who knows? Is this happening for the good of West Bromwich Albion or for the good of Dave McDonough? These are important, unanswered questions that need resolving.

Over to you Chairman Peace.

Article from http://fansonline.net/westbromwichalbion/article.php?id=402

Interesting.

[LiamTheBaggie]

The worrying thing for me is just when we need some stability to prepare ourselves for a massive turnover in players (regardless of division), we're now faced with this bombshell.

[GrGr]

The worrying thing for me is just when we need some stability to prepare ourselves for a massive turnover in players (regardless of division), we're now faced with this bombshell.

No point in going into a clear out until management is sorted out. Last summer clearly showed to us all something is rotten with the mindset at the club when it comes to recruitement. Lots of very, very strange decisions that broke with conventional, and dearly payed for, Albion wisdom.

We simply can't have more of that nonsense. Let the clear out start at the top.

[WBArgo]

I posted this in another thread, but its probably more relevant here. Really interesting read.

Article from http://fansonline.net/westbromwichalbion/article.php?id=402

Interesting.

Wow.

Very interesting and worrying if true.

[Standaman]

The Dave McDonough story smacks of someone briefing the press because their nose is out of joint or they are trying to deflect criticism from themselves and McDonough is a convenient scapegoat. It does not surprise me that McDonough has a growing influence at the club given his background and Garlick's relative lack of hands on football experience. All that said the club absolutely does not need the sideshow of a spat behind the scenes.

I very much doubt that Peace suffers fools gladly and I wouldn't want to be the fool that delivered this season.  I guess we will see who comes and goes to see where Peace allocates blame if there he feels  blame is to be allocated.   

 

 

[Signor_Maresca]

I see Lee Congerton has joined Sunderland as their new director of football.  Seem to remember us courting him until it became apparent it would cost £2million for Hamburg to grant his release, will be interesting to see how he gets on.

[cuckfield1704]

Does the much vaunted Dan Ashworth have some responsibility for the appointment of Garlick ? There was a considerable change over period (six months ?) between Ashworth being appointed by the FA and him leaving the Albion 'to allow time for a successor to be appointed'. So Ashworth had loads of time to come up with suitable candidates, also Ashworth should have counselled against appointing Garlick to the role - to most of us it seemed a very strange choice at the time.
There again perhaps Ashworth came up with possibilities and said his piece about the appointment of Garlick and our Chairman ignored it all and went for the cheap option.

[OldburyWBA]

Does the much vaunted Dan Ashworth have some responsibility for the appointment of Garlick ? There was a considerable change over period (six months ?) between Ashworth being appointed by the FA and him leaving the Albion 'to allow time for a successor to be appointed'. So Ashworth had loads of time to come up with suitable candidates, also Ashworth should have counselled against appointing Garlick to the role - to most of us it seemed a very strange choice at the time.
There again perhaps Ashworth came up with possibilities and said his piece about the appointment of Garlick and our Chairman ignored it all and went for the cheap option.

Earlier in the thread possibly posted over the weekend there is a post from someone who claims Ashworth says he had no involvement in the appointment

[cuckfield1704]

Earlier in the thread possibly posted over the weekend there is a post from someone who claims Ashworth says he had no involvement in the appointment.

The sound of hands being thoroughly washed is overwhelming.  My recollection is at the time his appointment to the FA Ashworth was specifically charged by Peace with coming up with a successor. What else was there to do during the further six months he was retained by Albion and why would our notoriously tight fisted Chairman pay him for such a long period ? Garlick was already in the house.

[LiamTheBaggie]

Our director of football administration has spoken:

Albion already working on next window
ONE transfer window may have closed – but Albion already have their plans and targets for the next two windows underway.

The club signed 11 players during the summer in a major overhaul of the first-team squad but one of the key figures of the recruitment drive, Richard Garlick, says the restless search for new talent does not end here.

Albion’s Director of Football Administration has been at the heart of the process which saw the club complete one of its largest ever Premier League summer in-takes.

“But the process is constantly evolving and moving forward,” says Garlick. “We already have our plans and thoughts for the transfer window in January and even next summer. That is the way it has to be.”

Technical Director Terry Burton, who heads the football management, has overseen the transfer planning with Garlick fronting the negotiations and Head Coach Alan Irvine playing a full role in target-selection.

It is a partnership which continues to represent “the Albion Way” first introduced seven years ago and Garlick believes it is now in positive working order.

“I get on very well with Terry,” he says. “Terry has got the gravitas and the acceptance on the football side of things to speak with Alan and the coaching staff.

“When things may have slowed down in the window or not been happening too quickly, Terry is able to go and say 'Listen guys, we are doing this, this, this and this'. It's not just me saying that from the board’s point of view - they accept it if Terry says it because it's football.

“From that point of view that relationship has worked really well.

“And Alan and his coaching staff are very professional. They didn’t want to just spend the money for the sake of it.

“They wanted to check everything out thoroughly and make the phonecalls.

“Alan is well connected as are Rob (Kelly), Keith (Downing), Terry and myself, and we have people we know in the industry to take soundings from.

“It has been refreshing to have a different set of eyes looking at it. Someone who has come completely from the outside looking at a recruitment point of view how we do things and understanding how the decisions that get made in the recruitment department can then affect what happens on the football side of things as well.

“Having only ever worked as a coach he has seen it from a different point of view how hard it is to put a deal together.”

And Garlick is optimistic Albion’s thoroughness will ultimately prove rewarding.

“The players have the right mental characteristics,” he said. “They will come in, they work hard, want to be coached, they are not going to be trouble in the dressing room. We have got a good group.

“If you have got a good group of players, good coaching and facilities then it's really down to them to deliver.”

Chairman Jeremy Peace has been delighted at the Burton-Garlick-Irvine partnership and believes it has delivered.

He added: “I think we still need to impress upon people how this club is run. I believe it has served us well and can continue to do so.

“As chairman I don’t want to get delving into Mark (Jenkins’s) area because he is running things as the CEO, Richard is in charge of the football administration and Terry is the technical director in charge of the football overall.

“Strategically, I’m involved in terms of where we go with the club, how it’s run and how we implement all our plans.

“If Terry, Richard or Mark want to discuss something that’s fine and where possible I will try to offer support. Hopefully that’s how it’s worked in the summer.”

Read more at http://www.wba.co.uk/news/article/that-was-the-summer-that-was-part-two-1899881.aspx#87QousmMlXzsklzv.99

[mulliganstired]

Lloyds bank, ICI, your local school or hospital, everyone puts out stuff like this.  Essentially meaningless.

[SirTonyM]

Richard Garlick has now taken a job with the Premier League...
We now need at least 10 new players, a manager, technical director, a chairman and whatever Garlick does
A busy summer awaits.

[Mister AT]

It’s actuslly quite scary the level of rebuilding we need to go through.

Let’s just hope we have people in mind for the top jobs so we can focus on picking the coach and new players.

[BB74]

Leaving the club. Got a job with the Premier League as Director of Football.

[TheJacko2000]

Leaving the club. Got a job with the Premier League as Director of Football.

Let's hope he does a better job than when he was our director of football...

[Albionic]

Why would we hope that? I for one couldn’t give a stuff how well he does , good riddance!

[skyclad99]

Good news again.......for me he is the last bastion of the old guard, so good riddance.

Not sure whats happening down there yet, but some of the signs are good [hopefully]

[BB74]

I’m a bit worried. Way too much change for my like. We are really lacking any sort of stability or knowledge of the Championship.

[Albionic]

On the plus side another wage off the bill, all we need now is a bloke who thinks he can do everything, identify players, negotiate contracts and coach the side. There’s a geezer at boro who fits the b....!!!

[WorcsWBA]

Good news again.......for me he is the last bastion of the old guard, so good riddance.

Jenkins is a significant part of the old guard, surely?

[baggiejohn]

I’m a bit worried. Way too much change for my like. We are really lacking any sort of stability or knowledge of the Championship.

Have to say, I agree with you. I said a few days ago that we had to be careful we didn't throw the baby out with the bathwater, I think we just have.

Just hope GL's got enough connections to bring in a replacement team. Personally, I think the strategy is very risky.

[costa blanca baggie]

Have to say, I agree with you. I said a few days ago that we had to be careful we didn't throw the baby out with the bathwater, I think we just have.

Just hope GL's got enough connections to bring in a replacement team. Personally, I think the strategy is very risky.

We didn’t throw him out though. He’s chosen to leave. At least he’s going to hang around long enough to advise the newbie when they arrive.

[baggiejohn]

We didn’t throw him out though. He’s chosen to leave. At least he’s going to hang around long enough to advise the newbie when they arrive.

It's not necessarily advice that we need, it's connections, & even if RG left of his own accord, we've just lost the last of our connected people.

Last time we tried this, we ended up with a Terry Burton/Alan Irvine axis.
I just hope GL is better connected than I think he is.

The moving on bit is easy, replacing them with someone better will be a lot more difficult.